Page 35 - Black Velvet Issue 91

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hen asked what he’s most proud of the Europe market locked and then hopefully get munity, a rock and metal community, and create
Wachieving, Leigh is coy. “Ah man, to be out to Australia and Japan, and I’m from India opportunities for each other, ‘cause it’s us
honest, I don’t ever think about it. I’m excited so I’d love to get back to India. To get to see the against the world sometimes, it feels like that
when I think about right now, just to be back motherland because of the band would be a with these other pop/mainstream genres that
here in Europe. I think it’s been such a long jour- huge honour. And if that’s it, I’m not taking any are not giving our genres a chance to be re-
ney. It reminds me of being a kid. I’m dreaming, of it with me, but the life experiences, so hope- warded or succeeding in different ways. So it’s
and a lot of times this business is next song, fully some more journeys and getting to under- important for bands like us to do our part and
next song, next single, next tour, that you really stand what makes us all different, what makes strive on and fight those little battles so the next
forget, you don’t have time to think about those us the same is brilliant. It’s awesome. I’ll just generation can hopefully have a better platform
things until someone asks you. But I think I’ve keep working with my guys and gal and keep to expose their music and be creative and to
had time to reflect this tour how special it is to writing the best music we can, that’s it.” want to play the guitar rather than their X-Box.
be over here and see the faces of people that ‘Cause it can be rewarding, not just on an emo-
like your band. You put faces to people and he band’s debut album, released back in tional level but also from a financial level, where
that’s special. One of the prayers I used to say T2008, was ‘Lipstick On The Mirror’. they don’t have to worry about touring, they can
when I was little, “God, help me have the fans. Going back to the start, we end by asking Leigh actually make a living and be proud of the fact
Help bring me people that will wanna listen to if he could write something in lipstick on a mirror, that they worked hard to become musicians and
my band, listen to the music that you help me what he’d write. He replies, “’Go higher’, man. I the rest of the world can be entertained and find
write,” and now it’s happening. I can see those think that’s the symbol on this record. ‘Foot- love and find peace and find their identity
faces and I always wondered what those people steps’. When in doubt, always push. Every little through their music. That’s the challenge. To lay
would look like. And those people are you guys. bit, as long as you’re going up, is a win. Fittingly the groundwork, even if we’re not the band or
Not forgetting where you’ve come from is a big with this record, ‘Go higher’ all day long. Or the era to really benefit from it. As this changes
part of it. It’s how we were raised; small town, ‘Take It All’ will be there in parenthesis, our other and social media and all the different outlets that
Michigan. It was never about money. It was song. That’s kind of the theme that stuck through are this generation of rock, I think it’s important
never about fame. It was always just about hard this whole album cycle and it’s just been that to just do our thing to chip away and hopefully
work and once you get there, if you get there, phrase that babies can understand and get a better platform for these other kids to come
then hard work probably had a big part of it. grandma and grandpa can understand. It up and be inspired to hopefully have it a little bit
You’re still working. You’re not thinking about doesn’t matter, it’s not an age thing. Just go easier. That’s the mission.”
greatest accomplishments. I don’t really care higher. It’s inspiring. In order for rock to be heard
about that. I just live for the now, live for the day the way we all want it to be heard and re- t’s all about positivity and hard work and
and the accomplishment today will be rocking spected, especially back in the US, we’ve gotta Iwe’re positively impressed with Pop Evil’s
Birmingham and reading those comments after- fight the fight and do the little things so people hard work. At the show that night the band are
wards making sure people are vibing the band. are reminded that rock and roll is very much every bit as good as we’re expecting – if not
That’s a win. But certainly, getting the chance to alive and well, and certainly in Europe, it’s more so. They put smiles on faces, fists in the
play the European Festivals was a big, big high- booming. It’s important to remind people that we air, and get the crowd jumping up and down…
light. UK: Download… Rock Am Ring was great, have a voice and that we’re a proud genre, and and ‘Up’ again. These guys have definitely gone
and now getting one step further to get a little we’re a proud group of individuals that are both higher in our estimation, and they will go higher
farther up the bill and keep becoming closer to inspired from rock and metal and the more we up the ladder of success.
a headline band in Europe, that would really be can team up and join together the more oppor- Visit www.popevil.com for more info.
a huge success, a huge win. To be able to tour tunities for us all. It’s ok if you like one band or
and not just tour the US. To be able to do this; genre better than the others, but stop the hate. Words & Live Photo By Shari Black Velvet
Canada’s growing, go there. We could finally get And it’s important to come together as a com-
Band Photos By Steve Sergent

POP EVIL